Blumenthal Warns Of IRS Impersonation Scam

Blumenthal said the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) has received more than 100,000 complaints about this particular scam. (FILE PHOTO)

Blumenthal said the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) has received more than 100,000 complaints about this particular scam. (FILE PHOTO) (Cloe Poisson / Hartford Courant)

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal wants CT residents to be wary of this phone scam

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal issued a statement Monday warning Connecticut residents to be wary of phony IRS agents who call and threaten arrest unless money is sent to the phony agents via a reloadable debit card.

Blumenthal, a Democrat who sits on the Senate Commerce Committee, said that the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) has received more than 100,000 complaints about this particular scam over the past year, and that the Connecticut Post reports that scammers have already targeted homes in Milford, Shelton, Stratford and Trumbull.

"No real IRS agent calls to demand payment or threatens imprisonment. Con artists are taking your money or valuable personal information by masquerading as IRS agents - a scam that should be stopped by both the IRS and Department of Justice before it does more harm," Blumenthal said in a statement.

Blumenthal said that he will ask for "immediate action, including prompt and aggressive investigation and prosecution," and that anyone who receives such a call should hang up immediately without giving the caller any personal information.

"If possible, record the phone number and any other identifying information to provide it to TIGTA's complaint hotline," Blumenthal said.

Blumenthal also offered these tips from the Federal Trade Commission to protect against phone scams: never wire money; never pay for a prize; never give the caller any personal or financial information; do not assume that the name and number that appear are correct; and put your number on the National Do Not Call Registry.